Democratic challenger Jim Webb has declared victory over Republican incumbent George Allen in the Virginia Senate race, but he is leading by such a small margin that a recounting of the votes might be necessary to cement his victory. Webb, an ex-Marine and author who ran on an anti-Iraq war platform, declared victory last night, when leading by several thousand votes. Allen s camp would not concede, however, and strategists have deployed lawyers to the state in order to try to shore up votes. Webb is leading Allen by less than one percentage point, with about 97 percent of the vote counted. By law, that would mean that Allen is entitled to a recount of the vote. With Democrats picking up Senate seats in Rhode Island, Ohio, Missouri, and Montana, the outcome of the Virginia Senate race has serious implications for the future of American politics. Should Webb claim victory, Democrats would lay claim to both houses of Congress, even further limiting President George W. Bush s ability to govern as he would like. Bush also faces a serious roadblock to his agenda in the House of Representatives, which the Democrats claimed last night. The House has, among other things, the power to subpoena Bush administration officials, including those who were implicated in fabricating intelligence to sell the Iraq war to the American people.
